


A Long Time Coming

by orchidbreezefc



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Angst, Bullying, Coming Out, Gen, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-07-15 09:03:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16059884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orchidbreezefc/pseuds/orchidbreezefc
Summary: Chihiro has a bad day. It's the last straw.





	A Long Time Coming

**Author's Note:**

> Okay. So. The forbidden topic: Chihiro's gender. I recognize that the canon has made a decision that Chihiro is a boy, but given that it's a transphobic-ass decision, I have elected to ignore it. Please, no comments to debate me on my interpretation; as a trans person, I feel that the best narrative for her character is that she is a trans girl, so please respect that.
> 
> This is a heavy one and a very personal one. Chalk it up to that phenomenon known as 'projectence'. Tread with caution: contains physical and emotional bullying, and an examination of all the fear that comes with coming out to one's parents, even loving ones.

Chihiro Fujisaki comes home crying. That's not an uncommon occurrence, but today, they don't even make it in the door before bursting into tears. They fervently pray that the neighbors aren't paying attention as they fumble with the keys in their blurry vision and shaking hands, body wracked with sobs. God, they must be a sight right now. Pathetic, pathetic.

Chihiro stumbles through the door and collapses in the process of getting their shoes off. They don't find the strength to do anything but hug their knees to their chest in the doorway of their house, one shoe still on, and cry.

Their dog Hopper comes running, evidently having heard Chihiro's distress. Chihiro doesn't quite manage a giggle so much as a gurgling sob as he licks their face. "I have to tell Mama and Papa," Chihiro tells him quietly, gesturing him to sit and taking his furry face in their hands. "Do you think I should? What if... what if they hate me, or kick me out... or...?" 

It's too horrible to contemplate, and yet Chihiro has been contemplating it every day for a year--being on the street, without Hopper, without their desktop setup or so much as a laptop or a phone plan.

They sob again, a noise that threatens to tear apart their body from the inside. Then, footfalls come at a run from deeper in the house. No, it's too soon, Chihiro wasn't going to do this, not today--

But honestly, they can't do this anymore.

"Chihiro! Son, are you all right?"

Pain splits open Chihiro's chest. "Papa," they manage, holding onto Hopper around the midsection, not reaching up to take the hand their father offers. He crouches beside them instead and, with some difficulty, sits on the floor.

His eyes rove over the bruises blossoming on Chihiro's arms. "Who did this to you?"

"Papa, that's not... where's Mama?"

"I know you don't always want to talk to me about these things, Chihiro," Papa says, looking Chihiro in the eye as best he can around the dog. "I might be overbearing, and maybe you don't want me to fix your problems for you, but this, Chihiro--those other kids--"

"It doesn't matter, Papa!" Chihiro cries, and winces when they hear the accidental increase in volume. "I'm sorry, Papa, I--I just..." They pull Hopper into their lap despite him being larger than they are. They should ask if Papa will love them no matter what, because they know he will say yes. That way, even if he doesn't know what he's agreeing to when he says it, Chihiro can point to his promise if he rejects them. But the words dry up in their throat.

Mama arrives, wearing a look of concern and one of her nicest dresses. Mama's clothes are always so pretty. Chihiro will never be that pretty. They have never been able to wear things that pretty, not without the bullying getting even worse. They begin to cry again.

"Oh, Chihiro, my beautiful son--" Chihiro's heart soars at the word 'beautiful' then shatters at the next, and they can't live like this anymore, it hurts it hurts it _hurts_ \--"what happened to you?"

"Mama," Chihiro whimpers, reaching out for her to join them on the floor, sitting beside their father with Hopper, here on the threshold of their home. She kneels and takes Chihiro's hand.

They're all together. It's now or never. If Chihiro is going to be kicked out, they have to know now, because anything is better than a moment more of tearing themself apart inside.

"I don't want to talk about the bullies, uhm, but... there is something. I was just thinking... since I made it into Hope's Peak Academy next year, I want..."

"Chihiro?" Papa prompts when they trail off.

"Mama, Papa, I... could I go as a girl?"

Mama and Papa share a confused glance. "Why would you want to do that?"

"I want to be a girl. No, it's... that's not it... I am a girl. I always have been." The words are so freeing. Chihiro never wants to take them back, no matter the cost for saying them. The plan had been to beg Mama and Papa not to be mad, but those words and defenses fall away, leaving only the truth.

There is a long silence. Mama and Papa look at each other, then at Chihiro. "Do you... do you want to change your name?" Mama says, like she's testing a program for the first time, not even sure if the input is correct.

"O-of course not! You chose my name, Mama, I wouldn't ever change it." The words come out automatic and true, if bewildered.

"Then you... we... we'll need to buy skirts. For your uniform," Papa says, the beta test. More sure than Mama was, but still expecting an adjustment.

Chihiro is not so sure at all. "Wait, you... you aren't mad? You're going to let me?"

"If it's what you want. No--it's not what you want, it's what you are, right?" Mama smiles shakily, like she's just as afraid as Chihiro of saying something wrong.

"Mama," Chihiro says. "Papa." The tears that had been stalled by fear start again, worse than before. "You aren't going to kick me out. I can still live here, as a girl, that's what you're saying, right?"

Papa looks appalled. "How could I kick you out? My little programmer? I would never, Chihiro, I love you so much." He reaches out to hug Chihiro, and with that, everything goes into alpha. Mama goes in for the hug too, and Chihiro hugs back, sobbing out years of pain and fear.

For the first time in her life, Chihiro feels like she's going to make it.


End file.
